Leadership differs from management, yet they go hand-in-hand in high-performance courts. Leadership is necessary to vision and to promote needed change and growth. Management is required to pace it, to deal with complexity, and to coordinate disparate work processes. Effective courts and court executive teams stand out both in maintaining routines and bringing about needed change. Power is used, but it is a team and court-wide effort. Successful courts have leaders who inspire trust and teamwork and who understand group process and use groups well. Initiative is encouraged. Innovation is pushed. Excellence is demanded, recognized, and rewarded. Leaders understand other’s needs and talents. They excel in “servant” leadership. They both lead and serve others.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of the judicial executive team concept and its practical importance for acceptable court performance;

Ability to forge an effective court executive team and to model effective judge and court manager partnerships;

Ability to work effectively with management and technical staff and teams to develop effective caseflow and other work processes;

Knowledge of the classic and current management and leadership literature;

Ability to inspire trust, teamwork, and high court performance;

Ability to use power, to make decisions, and to act decisively;

Knowledge of motivational principles and methods and how to provide timely and constructive feedback;

Ability to motivate justice partners and staff contributions to the court’s mission;

Ability to delegate and to avoid getting bogged down in details and micro management;